“Born in Canada, living in London, made in Italy”.
Dean and Dan Caten were born in 1964 as Dean and Dan Catenacci in Toronto, Ontario and grew up in the Willowdale area. They are the youngest of nine children. In 1983, they moved to New York to study fashion at Parsons The New School for Design, but stayed for only one semester before returning to Toronto. Finding a financial backer in 1986, they launched their first signature womenswear collection, DEanDAN. By 1988 they had signed on to label Ports International as creative directors to bring the company more fashion forward and upscale. At the same time, the Catens designed for their lower-end, leisure brand, Tabi International. In 1991, the brothers moved to Milan, Italy where they worked as designers for the house of Gianni Versace, and denim brand Diesel, the latter of which funded and launched their namesake brand. They debuted their men's collection in 1994, and in 2003, they launched a women's collection and a men's underwear collection.
The brothers are known for designing clothes and staging elaborate fashion shows. They design men's and women's apparel, men's and women's footwear, fragrances, and cosmetics. A runway show in 2005 ended with Christina Aguilera stripping male models of their clothes. In September 2007, the DSquared2 fashion show in Milan featured Rihanna entering the stage in an American muscle car, followed by a runway walk. In January 2010, the DSquared2Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan featured Bill Kaulitz descending from the ceiling in a caged elevator à la Rocky Horror Picture Show, followed by a runway walk. Bill Kaulitz opened and closed the Dsquared2 Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan.
The Catens were awarded the 2003 GQ Men of the Year Breakout Design Award. In 2006, they received the Golden Needle Award.
On June 16, 2009, it was announced that the duo would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. The induction ceremony was held on September 12, 2009.
Thanks for reading! MT :)
